Chronos
by ladykirie
Summary: Sometimes, the best stories are not of our passing, but of how one spent their time on earth- a three part story of a master and servant's life together.


1

Chronos

(_Just a little story idea that chronicles a master's and servant's life together.... takes place in my mythos, so there will be some changes from the manga and anime. 'Spoilers' for 'Ceremony' and the rest of my plots....bonding, family, love, lust, and children-some of the best stories mark not our passing but our time spent on earth....) _

Tick. Tick. Tick. The monotonous strike of the hands of a clock.

Drip. Drip. Drip. The endless dropping of time into the grains of an hourglass.

Neither mattered much to an immortal , after all, why bother to count the hours, the minutes, the seconds of passing when none of it really mattered anyhow. The only calender worth consulting , the only times that seemed real were the ones he spent with her. Numerous years, thousands of days, hundreds of thousands of hours, each one precious, etched into his heart like a tattoo. Centuries and generations faded and merged until all that remained was _her_.

When she was born, he felt a stirring in his psyche. It was as if a bright beam of sunlight broke through a veil of shadows, cracking hope through an otherwise endless, bleak sleep. Right now, she barely knew of her own existence, just able to make out the faces of her mother and father, but in time, she would transcend the confines of her flesh and become mightier than any one could have imagined_. _The baby girl gurgled and stretched out her limbs blissfully unaware of the legacy before her.

Childhood came and went, mainly a happy, protected phase She was a beautiful child, an intricate and interesting mix of her father's classic English stock and her mother's exotic, Indian colouring; her skin was naturally tanned and her hair so blonde it was almost white. But, it was her eyes that made one stop and wonder about the girl. If they were merely wide and vapid, like blue, glass beads, she would be pretty, but not interesting, like some sort of Victorian doll. Instead, they were filled with a bright gleam and an inquisitive gaze. Intelligence burned in the back of those orbs, eternally inquisitive anything and everything that came her way. "Why" was never dismissed and her endless array of questions could at times prove tiring, but were met by her parents and loyal servants as best they could.

"I would prefer you to be wise, not just lovely.," her mother would croon. "Beauty is fleeting, but knowledge is eternal." While perhaps Integra was a bit too young to fully comprehend such a thing, she merely cuddle deeply into her mother's smooth, brown arms and press in. She was a dearly beloved child, treasured by her mother and father and even Walter, her butler. The man had never had children with his wife before she passed, so he looked to her as sort of a surrogate daughter. Little did the girl know just how deep the man's affection would run for her over the years.

The household was filled with love, until her mother passed at eight. Cancer took the young woman, leaving Lord Arthur and his daughter numbed. A great hole was left in Integra's heart, one that would gradually be erased in time, but left its indelible mark none the less. The true murdering of her innocence came at twelve. Her father withered with sericeous and died, leaving her with the enormous burden of caring for the order, country and Queen. In spite of her age and naivete, _that_ she could bare that with clumsy grace; it was the betrayal of her uncle that severed the last, light links to girlhood. That night, Integra Fairbrooks Windgates Hellsing became a woman. While most girls would have cowered and begged for mercy, she gave flight and made those treacherous bastards work for their pay. Whether it was desperation or the urge for survival, she made her way down into the ancient basements and summoned the one thing that could have saved-or damned her. That is when the vampire first laid eyes on her, a fearless creature that merely needed his aid in order to rise to the challenge. Her eyes flashed like flint and her hand was shaky as she fired the gun, but she succeeded, her uncle's blood splattering her cheeks like red rain.

She didn't even flinch as his body hit the floor. The creature, resembling more a wild beast than man, knelt before her. He had served numerous nobles before, but never one so determined. She was barely the age of some of his serving girls and concubines when he was enthroned so many centuries ago, but it did not mater to him- age meant nothing, spirit everything.

At fourteen, she became the head of the household, leaving her girlish ease behind with her school uniforms, donning pantsuits and beginning to act as a true member and leader of the Organization. Decisions came with doubt and bottled-up angst.

"_What would my father do?", she sometimes asked herself. A deep chuckled rolled off the base of her skull. _

"_Crying for Daddy? Certainly you can do better than that...", her servant teased. The vampire tormented her daily, pushing her to the brink of frustration and tears. A sick test of sorts, to see if she was really worthy of his service. _Integra scowled and shot back.

"_I was not asking for your input, servant. It's wise for a younger person to look towards their elder's experience to aid them. Now, piss off.' The laughter eased up. _

"_Well met." _ Most young women her age were 'over whelmed' with school and the daunting choices of having a social circle, for Miss Hellsing, it was how to constantly upkeep her delicate balance between learning and applying military tactics and her scholastic regime. In addition to that, she had to care for and control both troops and her own personal servant. While the vampire Alucard honoured her as his master, he was currently driving her out of her wits. The beast was crafty, cunning, and contemplative, adoring in her aggravation. Walter had advised to stay strong and ignore his antics, after all, he was merely trying to push her to become a stronger leader- or go completely batty. As of late, she felt as if her head and mind were in a thousand places at once; to make matters worse, she was a 'late bloomer'-the natural occurrence of womanly development leaving her feeling rather un-nerved. Her vampire sensed it as well, and thrived off of her unease, but it was the girl's dignity that kept him from taking total advantage of the situation. One night, he confronted her , leering with narrow, crimson eyes and a smirk that would have made grown women either swoon or scream.

"Are you still 'un-well'- I have a keen sense of smell, master." He leaned in close, observing his young master seated up, covered in her blankets. She pulled on the collar of her bathrobe and peered at him cooly.

"I am perfectly fine. Concerned about me?" Alucard edged in, taking in the heat radiating off her skin, a delicious contrast to her icy gaze.

"Of course, I have nothing but the best intentions for you, after all, if you need anything, please let me know. Also, keep your tone light with me, it's best to keep a vampire appeased during certain times of the month, other wise, we have a tenancy to get rather nasty." Integra moved to meet his face, unfazed.

"I'm well aware of the old legends and myths, Alucard. I'm in no mood for your games, tonight. Also, if you're trying to intimidate me, it's not working..."

"So you have no fear that I might get a bit hungry in your current condition." She cocked her eyebrow.

"No. First off, you would never harm me by the truce which you're bound to, and you, my dear servant, are quite well-fed, over-fed, if you want my honest opinion. Walter indulges you far too much." She pocked at his shoulder.

"Really?", he replied, a hint of a growl in his tone.

"Besides, would you really want something dead, luke-warm and clotted, when you get something fresh, hot and sweet nearly every week?" The vampire was taken aback. The girl didn't even flinch while telling the truth, as base as it was. While he hated to admit it, she was gaining his respect. The creature rose and did a little bow.

"You have bested me."

"Wonderful, now leave me alone and let me sleep." Alucard phased into shadows, but lingered in silence to watch her ease into an uncomfortable sleep. When his master was fully out, he crept back into a solid form and tucked the thick quilt around her .

"_You are growing up, little girl." he whispered, "I can't wait to see into what or who.." his voice trailed off with a light peck on the top of her head. _


End file.
